FEI Rolex World Cup

Bordeaux and the World Cup has been a pair for ages. Right from the start in 1978, when the World Cup began, Bordeaux was part of the tour. The million citizen Bordeaux - the world's wine capital in south-west France - is the stage for the most important showjumping event this weekend. It's again the time to compete for the points neccessary for a World Cup final lot - let's hope for success in France!

Saturday: Mikael fifth in World Cup - It's Vegas, baby!
Sunday: Noora 3rd overall in Ladies!

Mikael jumps in Bordeaux with Isaac du Jonquet, Winnie PV and Casandra Z. Noora jumps the Ladies classes with Quinault.

Friday

The French World Cup show started on Friday. In the morning Mikael jumped Casandra in the warmu-up. In the afternoon Mikael did a 1m40 class with Winnie and in the following class Noora and Quinault participated in the Ladies class. In the evening's 1m50 main class Mikael jumped with Isaac.

All horses did a splendid job and jumped excellently on Friday in Bordeaux. Winnie and Mikael had an unfortunate rail down in 1m40, but according to Noora horses and rider seems already as a good pair. Noora and Quinault took a nice 4th place in the Ladies speed class, where possible faults were converted to additional time. Noora told thee was stiff competition and one had to be seriously fast to have any success in the class. According to rider, Quino felt good and jumped great.

In Friday's main class Isaac continued the row of superior results and achieved with Mikael a 10th place in the 1m50 against the clock. It was a demanding class and to achieve a placing one had to make a really short route. Mikael made all cuts and short turns possible, without still pushing flat out. Isaac displayed great fighter mentality and Mikael was very much at ease with the horse.

On Saturday Noora and Quinault continues in the Ladies class, Mikael jumps first with Winnie in 1m45 with a jump-off, with Casandra in 1m40 against he clock and then for the main thing, the Bordeaux World Cup with Isaac.

Saturday

Copyright Pierre Costabadie/FEI

Saturday became a big relief and a fabulous success, as Mikael and Isaac secured a 5th place in the season's probably the hardest World Cup round. An impressive 9 out of the world's current top 10 was competing for these points, and this in mind, the course designer had designed a very tough and technical course.

Our team's goal was to secure a few more World Cup points, because the pressure to go to the Las Vegas final had become rather obvious. The relief and joy after the fabulous clean round was not hard to read out of Mikael's face after the round - enclosed picture. Isaac was just tremendous, showing both high spirit and fast reactions. The one rail in the jump-off Mikael was quick to take the blame for, as he told he came a little close to 3ab and felt the urge to ride a bit too much out of the combination, where the mistake then happened. Otherwise it was a spotless jump-off and a very fast time, which again entitled horse and rider to a - from Finnish perspective - historical placing, with the good amount of WC-points to follow.
After Bordeaux Mikael is 6th in the World Cup points and it has to be safe to say now: It's Vegas, baby!

Noora and Quinault continued to impress and the stallion felt really good according to rider. Noora received a lot of positive feedback for their round and told Quino was really alert in all turns and did its best throughout the course.

Mikael and Winnie, the new pair, continued their promising learning process on a challenging 1m45 course. The result was written as one rail on the c-part of a triple combination, as well as an extra volt with penalties that followed. With Casandra Mikael never started in the speed class, as he did feel the class suited the mare and jump instead on Sunday in the Accumulator class.

On Sunday Noora and Quinault had a fast 4-faulter in the Ladies final and was tenth in the class. Adding up Sunday's result with the tremendous results from the earlier days, Noora and Quino became 3rd overall in a very respectable opposition.

In the usually demanding Bordeaux Grand Prix Mikael starts with Winnie.

Website for Bordeaux show:

Jumping Bordeaux

Results and starting lists

Bordeaux LIVE

FEI World Cup:

Current standings

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